QIA Investments Volume Reaches More than $ 30 billion in 2012 - Official

Doha, April 22 (QNA) - Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) Managing Director and Chief Executive (CEO) Dr. Hussein Al Abdullah said that the QIA investments volume in 2012 reached more than $ 30 billion. Speaking to reporters here today on the sidelines of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UNCTAD XIII, Dr. Abdullah said that Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has the vision, courage and experience to choose the quality of investment and investment opportunities. Dr. Abdullah described QIA operations at the moment as “active, cautious and conservative” ... Adding, "We have not got out of financial crisis yet, so we must be careful in the selecting the quality companies and the opportunities that exist and which may increase in times of crises." On risks of existing investments in Europe, especially in light of the current crisis, Dr. Abdullah said that there are companies that exist in Europe, but more related to the currently booming economies like China, which achieved high growth rates. Dr. Abdullah noted that QIA was able in 2009 achieved more than 50 percent profits.. He said, "we were able in 2009 to restore what had been lost in 2008 (at the height of the global financial crisis), estimated at 20 percent." He also noted that the revenues were estimated at about 40 percent in 2010. On Qatar concentrating its investments in certain countries, Dr. Abdullah said "there is no interest in a particular geographical area, we are interested in opportunities, in the sense that if there was a chance in any country around the world then we go for it.”(QNA)